Digital Health in India
Key Figures
~ 1.4 MD
population
3%
health care spending as a percentage of GDP
2nd
global startup ecosystem (after the U.S.)
Shared governance between the central government and the states: a healthcare system undergoing major transformation
The Indian healthcare system is based on a division of responsibilities between the central government and the states.
The central government sets broad public health policies, regulatory frameworks, and national programs, while the states are responsible for organizing and managing health services—including public facilities—and implementing policies within their jurisdictions.
The private sector provides a large portion of health care services. Financial coverage for health care relies on a combination of out-of-pocket household expenditures, private insurance, and public programs.
An Indian model based on interoperability
What sets the Indian model apart is its “Digital Public Infrastructure” (DPI) strategy—an approach that involves developing open, interoperable public digital infrastructure building blocks, accessible via APIs, on which both private and public entities can freely build their services.
This approach, known as the “India Stack,” has already proven its effectiveness on a large scale: similar to a Social Security number, Aadhaar is a unique biometric identifier that has streamlined access to public services and promoted financial inclusion for the entire population, while UPI (Unified Payments Interface), with more than 18 billion transactions per month, has established itself as the world’s most widely used instant payment system, inspiring similar models in many emerging economies.
It is on this sovereign, proven, and internationally recognized digital foundation that India is now rolling out its strategy in the healthcare sector. This strategy is being implemented in particular through the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), a national program equivalent to “Mon espace santé” that aims to create a layer of national interoperability based on:
- The Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA), a digital identifier that allows citizens to easily access their medical information and share it securely, particularly through the ABHA App, a digital personal health record (700 million accounts created, mainly in urban areas);
- The Health Facility Registry and the Healthcare Professionals Registry, two national databases listing both public and private healthcare facilities and healthcare professionals;
- The National Health Claims Exchange, a national platform currently being rolled out (its adoption by private insurers remains limited) designed to facilitate the standardized exchange of information related to reimbursement claims and healthcare services;
- The Unified Health Interface, a platform offering various digital health services (appointment scheduling, telemedicine, and searching for healthcare professionals or facilities).
French-Indian Cooperation
French-Indian cooperation, which has been particularly dynamic, was recently marked by the signing of a joint declaration on February 17, 2026, in which the President of the French Republic, Emmanuel MACRON, and the Prime Minister of India, Narendra MODI, committed to strengthening bilateral partnerships in the field of digital health (point 41).
There are also numerous academic collaborations between French and Indian institutions, particularly in the fields of biomedical research, artificial intelligence, and public health.
At the bilateral level, these exchanges are supported by:
- Business France India;
- the French Embassy in India;
- the Franco-Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IFCCI);
- the Franco-Indian Innovation Network, launched on February 17, 2026, in the presence of the two heads of state, which now serves as a key institutional vehicle for collaboration in priority sectors, including digital health.
How can I enter the Indian market?
1. Understanding the ABDM Ecosystem
For a digital health company, the first step is to understand the ABDM architecture.
The government encourages companies to develop services compatible with:
- the ABHA identifier;
- national registries;
- consent mechanisms;
- the UHI’s open interfaces.
The main technical entry point is the ABDM Sandbox, a free testing environment provided by the National Health Authority that allows companies, software vendors, and developers to design, test, and certify their solutions prior to deployment. Obtaining ABDM certification is now, de facto, a prerequisite for accessing public digital health procurement markets in India.
It is also important to familiarize oneself with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDPA) of 2023, whose implementing regulations are still being finalized. This legislative framework governs the collection, processing, and storage of personal health data and shares some similarities—as well as notable differences—with the European GDPR. A preliminary legal analysis is essential for French companies, particularly regarding cross-border data transfers.
2. Identify the right market segment
India is not a homogeneous market. Opportunities vary greatly depending on:
- State-level variations: The states most advanced in digital health include Karnataka (Bengaluru, a healthtech hub), Tamil Nadu (a strong network of digitized public hospitals), Maharashtra (Mumbai, a concentration of private players), Telangana (Hyderabad, with a proactive policy to attract medtech investment), Rajasthan (mobile health), and Andhra Pradesh (pilot projects in rural telemedicine). Some states in the Northeast, such as Nagaland, are also showing growing interest in solutions tailored to tribal and remote areas;
- By market segment: the Indian digital health market is structured around three distinct segments with very different access models:
- the public sector (government hospitals, national programs): access via public tenders, partnerships with the National Health Authority or state governments—volumes are significant, but margins remain low and decision-making cycles are relatively long;
- the private hospital sector (major groups such as Apollo, Fortis, Max, and Manipal): decisions are made more quickly, with greater contractual flexibility and a strong appetite for AI solutions for “diagnostics,” hospital management, and patient experience;
- Health insurers and third-party payers: This segment, which is experiencing strong growth with the rollout of the Ayushman Bharat (PM-JAY) health insurance program, theoretically covers 500 million beneficiaries.
- Major cities:
- Bengaluru remains the undisputed capital of Indian healthtech, home to the majority of startups, R&D centers, and venture capital investments.
- Hyderabad stands out for its life sciences and pharmaceutical ecosystem.
- Mumbai and New Delhi serve as the main gateways for partnerships with major private hospital groups and financial institutions.
3. Forge local partnerships
In practice, the majority of foreign companies succeed thanks to:
- partnerships with hospitals;
- specialized distributors;
- system integrators;
- public-private consortia;
- collaborations with local startups.
Public Authorities and Government Platforms
Professional Associations and Industry Networks
Initiatives to Support Innovation
Education and Research
India has an extensive network of higher education and research institutions involved in digital health (artificial intelligence, computer science, and medical devices):
Exporter your innovation in India
Health System in India
India's health system rests on two coexisting pillars: a public sector and a private sector, with governance shared between the central government and the federated states. This division of responsibilities varies from state to state: from Kerala to Bihar, via Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Karnataka or Tamil Nadu, each state organizes its health services in its own way, while New Delhi sets the national regulatory framework for the country as a whole.
This diversity plays out on the ground. In rural areas, it is local primary health facilities that provide the first point of access to care, with CHCs (Community Health Centres) operating at a higher level, acting as referral centres for several of these facilities. Major cities such as Mumbai, formerly Bombay, and Delhi offer a much denser medical landscape, anchored by leading institutions such as the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and private hospital groups. A well-equipped private clinic can sit just a few kilometres from a public hospital with far more limited resources, although technology is gradually helping to narrow this gap between the public and private sectors.
The private sector accounts for the majority of consultations, hospital admissions and access to medicines across the country. Patients benefit from shorter waiting times and often highly specialized doctors, but at the cost of health spending that weighs heavily on households: health insurance and health coverage remain incomplete for a large share of the Indian population, despite ongoing efforts to extend health insurance nationwide.
India's social security system relies in particular on schemes dedicated to salaried workers, covering workplace accidents and occupational diseases. Alongside this, the National Health Authority oversees Ayushman Bharat, a national programme that includes PM-JAY, one of the largest public health insurance schemes in the world, designed to connect patients, hospitals and healthcare providers.
India trains a considerable number of doctors and nurses every year, but the distribution of nursing staff and health professionals remains uneven between urban and rural areas. This healthcare policy challenge is regularly highlighted by industry stakeholders: healthcare governance in India cannot progress sustainably without a stronger effort to train nurses and doctors in the states that are least well equipped in terms of hospitals and medical staff.
Another distinctive feature of the Indian model is its early embrace of technology and digital health. Digital platforms are making it easier to access health services, deliver care and track medicines, progressively connecting dispensaries, public hospitals and private hospitals. This momentum is also fuelling the growth of medical tourism in India, which draws patients from around the world every year seeking treatment at lower cost in internationally recognized clinics, sometimes backed by international health insurance.
Between France and India, cooperation is growing around digital health, biomedical research and the training of health professionals. G_NIUS decodes the Indian health system for innovators who want to understand it and find their place in it: shared governance between the public and private sectors, opportunities by state and region, key public authorities (including the National Health Authority) and professional associations in the sector. A useful resource for any e-health player looking to expand its services into India, its hospitals, its clinics and its millions of patients.